Pile-driving attachments



y 1962 J. R. JOHANSSON 3,035,646

FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENTS Filed March 31, 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 JR Joumsso INVENTOR ATTo RNE rs y 1962 J. R. JOHANSSON 3,035,646

FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENTS Filed March 3]., 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 16- 1 JTRJOHANSSON 3 10 Iwvmae A rmeua Y5 May 22, 1962 J. R. JOHANSSON FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENTS 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 51, 1958 J? R. JBHA -sso- I/vvemmz BY V ATTORNEYS J. R. JOHANSSON PILEDRIVING. ATTACHMENTS May 22, 1962 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 31, 1958 B Y I "d Prue/a A TTOENE YS N T Mam m R. W I Pm mm A f m o .5. 0p m? ON 9 mm 3 mm y 22, 1962 J. R. JOHANSSON 3,035,646

FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENTS Filed March 51, 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 I R. J'OHANS 5on1 I/wE/vToR BY MUM A T TORNE Y5 y 1962 J. R. JOHANSSON 3,035,646

PILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENTS Filed March 51, 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 -J.8 4g Fl 32 I l V1.9 Q 35 31 a v I i 5 g 3 as 3;

Fi .7 3e 30 5 48 g i 31 .0 37" 1 39 L8 38 30 29 IR. JbHANSsoN D/VEA/TOR BY Mahdi,

ATTORNEYS y 1962 J. R. JOHANSSON 3,035,646

FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENTS Filed March 31, 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 7 I R. JoHANssON May 22, 1962 J. R. JOHANSSON 3,035,646

FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENTS Filed March 31, 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 IRJ'aHANssoN LvVENToR By MM M WM Arrazeusys United States Patent @fi ice 3,53%,546 Patented May 22, 1962 3,035,646 FILE-DRIVING ATTACHIl IENTS John Ragnar Johansson, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to AB i ikermans Gjuteri & Mek. Verlrstad, Eslov, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Min'. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 725,362 6 Claims. (0. 175154) This invention relates to improvements in pile driving attachments for use with a caterpillar or like tractor crane. It has been customary in the art to suspend a pile driving hammer lead from the top of a crane boom pivotally mounted on a turn-table or rotatable Windlass frame or crane house carried by a caterpillar, and several different constructions have been proposed for solving the problem of correctly locating and positioning the pile driving hammer lead for driving a pile. Where the pile driving hammer lead is supported by being connected at a point relatively near its upper end to the top of a relatively long crane boom pivotally connected with the Windlass frame and this means of support is complemented by say a hoist line and block arrangement for swinging the crane boom about its pivotal connection with the Windlass frame, it has also been proposed to support the hammer lead laterally near its lower end by a relatively short radius frame pivotally secured to the Windlass frame.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved pile-driving attachment comprising a pile driving hammer lead for use with a caterpillar or like tractor crane having a Windlass frame preferably in the form of a turn-table or rotatable crane house carried by the underframe of the tractor.

Important novel features of the invention are concerned with improved means for correctly locating and positioning the pile driving hammer lead for driving a pile, and with improved means for making the pile-driving attachment transportable together with the caterpillar or like tractor crane on a trailer hauled by a truck.

The objects of the invention, and the means by which they are achieved, will be explained in detail by describing a preferred embodiment of the invention. This particular embodiment is used illustratively, the contribution to the art offered by the invention being of sufficiently broad scope to comprehend various modifications of structure within the invention.

In the detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are more or less diagrammatic front and side elevational views of a caterpillar tractor crane equipped with a pile-driving attachment constructed in accordance with the invention, parts of the attachment being illustrated in more detail in other figures;

HG. 3 is a more or less diagrammatic side elevational view of the caterpillar tractor crane with the pile-driving attachment in a certain stage of procedure for making the attachment transportable together with the caterpillar on a trailer hauled by a truck;

FIG. 4 is a more or less diagrammatic side elevational view of a trailer hauled by a truck, and of the caterpillar with the pile driving attachment loaded on the trailer and the truck for transporting the whole machinery comprising the caterpillar crane and the pile-driving attachment from say one wo king place to another;

FIG. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, and FIG. 6 a corresponding side view of a radius frame which is pivotally secured to the turn-table or Windlass frame of the caterpillar crane and supports a pile driving hammer lead near the lower end thereof, FIG. 5 being taken substantially on line VV in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sections taken substantially on line VHVII in PEG. 2 and on line VIllVlll in PK 7,

respectively, and illustrate more in detail the construction of the hammer lead and of means for connecting it at a point above and distant from the radius frame with the upper ends of a pair of extendable struts for adjustably strutting the hammer lead from the turntable or windlass frame of the caterpillar crane;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are two elevational views, taken at right angles to each other, of one of the extendable struts and of means connecting its lower end with the turn-table or Windlass frame of the caterpillar crane, the construction of the extendable strut being shown more in detail in FIG. 9 and more diagrammatically in FIG. l0;

PIG. ll is a cross section on line XlXl in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view of the customary three winding drums of the Windlass and also diagrammatically shows block arrangements for the difierent lines from the different winding drums.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the caterpillar crane shown comprises a caterpillar 1 carrying a turn-table or Windlass frame or crane house 2 which is rotatable about a vertical axis and can be rotated by machinery including a power source which is mounted on the turn-table and can be used for driving both the caterpillar and the winding drums of the Windlass mounted on the turn-table. Because the caterpillar crane and the Windlass thereof and all equipment needed for driving and controlling them are well known in the art and may be of any conventional construction, they are shown only diagrammatically or not at all.

When the caterpillar tractor crane is to be equipped with the pile-driving attachment of the invention, the ordinary crane boom of the crane, which is pivotally secured to brackets 3 at the front of the urn-table 2, is removed and replaced by a relatively short radius frame 4'. This radius frame 4 is pivotally secured to the brackets 3 in the same manner as the removed ordinary crane boom was secured to the brackets 3, namely by pivot pins 5, as is best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The projecting forward end of the radius frame t is fork-shaped and receives between the legs of the fork a pile driving hammer lead 6 which near its lower end is supported by the radius frame 4 by being connected thereto by a gimbal or universal joint. The latter comprises a cross-shaped member 7 carried by an axle 8 extending transversely between the legs of the fork-shaped projecting end of the radius frame 4. The ends of the axle 8 are journaled in bearings 9 sliding in slots 1% provided in the said legs and extending longitudinally thereof, as is best shown in FIG. 6. The crossshaped member 7 is pivotally secured to the hammer lead 6 by axially aligned pivot pins 11 disposed at right angles to the axle 8. The slots 10 and the bearings 9 sliding in these slots permit adjustment of the lower end of the hammer lead 6 radially in relation to the vertical axis about which the turn-table or Windlass frame or crane house 2 can be turned on the caterpillar 1. Such radial adjustment of the position of the lower end of the hammer lead 6 in relation to the turn-table 2 can be edected directly by hand or preferably by a manually controlled hydraulic servomotor comprising a cylinder l2 (FIG. 5) carried by the radius frame 4 at the rear end thereof and having a forwardly projecting piston rod connected by means of a yoke 13 and rods 14 with the axle is adjacent the insides of the legs of the fork-shaped forward end of the radius frame 4. the rods 4 being provided at their front ends with the holes 10 through which the axle 8 extends.

For vertically supporting and lifting and lowering the hammer lead 6 by the radius frame 4 through the gimbal connection between them, the radius frame 4 is connected with the turn-table or Windlass frame or crane house 2 by a lifting device. This lifting device may consist of a hydraulic power cylinder or, as shown, by the boom hoist aosaeae line 15 (F168. 2 and 12) of the Windlass of the crane, and a block arrangement. In the form shown this block arrangement comprises sheaves 16 on an axle 17 mounted in brackets 18 on the radius frame 4 (FIGS. and 6), and sheaves 19 (FIG. 12) on an axle 29 mounted in brackets 21 (FIG. 2) on top of the Windlass frame or crane house 2. The winding drum for the boom hoist line and a dead end holder for the latter are diagrammatically indicated at 22 and 122, respectively, in FIG. 12.

For adjustably strutting and staying the hammer lead 6 at a point above and distant from the gimbal connection of the hammer lead with the supporting radius frame 4, there is provided a pair of separately extendable struts 23 and a structure for supporting them at their lower ends from the Windlass frame or crane house 2. In the form shown (FIGS. 1-4, 9, 10) "this structure comprises an axle 24 extending between and carried by the upper ends of a pair of rods 25 disposed on both sides of, and pivoted at their lower ends by pivots 26 to the Windlass frame or crane house 2 near the rear end thereof. Detachable stays 127 connecting the rods 25 near their upper ends with the crane house 2 are provided for staying the rods 25 in standing position in which they project a distance above the crane house 2. Between and adjacent the rods 25 the axle 24 carries members 27 which are rotatable on the axle 24 and to which the lower ends of the extendable struts 23 are pivotally connected by pivot pins 2% disposed at right angles to the axle 24 (FIGS. 9 and 16), so that the connections of the struts 23 to the axle 24 form universal joints.

The struts 23 are connected at their upper ends by universal joints to a bracket 22 (FIGS. 7 and 8) engaging guides 36 provided on and extending longitudinally of the hammer lead 6. The bracket 29 is slidable along the guides 30 and, when in a normal position on the hammer lead 6, locked thereto by a latch 31 which is mounted on the hammer lead 6 and engages the bracket 29 by projecting into a recess 32 therein. The latch 31 can be released (retracted from the recess 32) by hand by means of a handle bar 33 depending from one arm of a bell crank lever 34 mounted on the hammer lead 6, the other arm of this lever being engaged with the latch 31 which is urged into locking position by a spring 35 (FIG. 8) connected, for instance, between the lever 34 and a point on the hammer lead 6. For making it possible to slide the bracket 29 from below up into its normal position on the hammer lead 6, the bracket 29 has a cam surface 36 (FIG. 8) which pushes the latch 31 back and then permits it to snap into the recess 32 and automatically lock the bracket 29 to the hammer lead 6.

F or forming the universal joints between the upper ends of the extendable struts 23 and the bracket 29 the later has a horizontal tubular portion 36 (FIGS. 7 and 8) in the ends of which are inserted and journaled axles 37 with projecting ends to which forked heads 38 at the upper ends of the struts 23 are pivotally attached by pivot pins 39. Locking pins 40 inserted into holes in the wall or" the tubular portion 36 and engaging in annular grooves in the rotatable axles 37 are provided for holding the latter in place in the tubular portion 36.

Each of the two extendable struts 23 comprises two telescoping sections (FIGS. 9 and 10) and manually operable or controllable power means for displacing the sections in relation to each other for varying the distance between the ends of the strut. In the form shown in FIG. 9 said power means comprise a hydraulic power cylinder 41 disposed in the lower one of the telescoping sections, and a piston 42 in this cylinder, which piston has a projecting piston rod 43 forming at least part of the upper one of the two telescoping sections. The cylinder 41 is provided at both ends with means, diagrammatically indicated at 44, connecting it to a conventional system for manually controllable admittance and escape of a pressure fluid for displacing the piston in the cylinder and for holding the piston in any adjusted position in the cylinder. This conventional system is omitted from the drawings, since showing thereof would add nothing to the clarity of this description of the invention. It is to be observed, however, that there must be provided for separate control of the power means for the adjustment of each of the two struts 23.

In the preferred extendable strut construction shown more in detail in FIGS. 9 and 11, the lower one of the two telescoping sections of the strut, in which the hydraulic power cylinder 41 is mounted, comprises three tubes 45 interconnected at suitable distances by plates 46 having central openings for the cylinder 41 and for the rod 43 forming the upper one of the telescoping sections, means such as collars 47 for guiding the rod 43 being provided on at least some of the plates 46 through which the rod 43 extends.

The pile driving hammer lead 6 may be of any suitable conventional construction, for instance the one shown (F163. 5 and 6) which comprises four parallel tubes 48 disposed at the corners of a trapezium as viewed in a cross section of the lead, and plates 49 interconnecting the tubes at suitable distances. The hammer or ram 56 and the anvil 51 (through which the hammer applies its driving blow unto the pile and which as is well known in the art can be fastened to the hammer by means of hooks automatically unhooking at the first driving blow of the hammer) engage the hammer lead 6 so as to be guided thereby in the conventional manner. The hammer hoist line 52 (FIG. 2) runs from the hammer 50 to the winding drum 53 (FIG. 12) on the Windlass frame over a sheave 54 at the upper end of the hammer lead 6 and over a sheave 55, 56 (FIG. 12) on the axle 17. The winding drum 57 also shown diagrammatically in FIG. 12, and the line 58 of this winding drum, are used for hauling a pile to the place where it is to be riven into the ground and for there raising the pile into upright position. The line 58 runs from the drum 57 over a sheave 59 (FIG. 12) on the axle 2t and over sheaves 61 and 62 (FIG. 2) carried by a yoke (FIG. 2) 63 mounted on top of the hammer lead 6.

in FIG. 5 a pile 64 is shown by dash and dot lines to indicate just about where the hammer lead 6 has to be located in relation to the raised pile for driving it. Usually the pile has to be driven at a predetermined spot on the ground and in a predetermined direction in relation to the vertical through this spot. For this reason the hammer lead 6 usually has to be located and adjusted rather exactly in relation to the predetermined spot and the vertical therethrough. Positioning of the hammer lead with the desirable exactness can hardly be achieved only by moving the caterpillar 1 and the turn-table 2 thereon, and because it is desirable that the hammer lead 6, when correctly positioned, shall rest with its lower end on the ground, no or little help in the correct positioning oi the hammer lead is gained by the customary suspension of the hammer lead from the top of a long crane boom on the turn-table on the caterpillar. With the pile-driving attachment of the invention, however, the radial adjustment of the lower end of the hammer lead 6 made possible by the slots 1% in the radius frame 4, and the adjustment of the hammer lead 6 in all transverse directions in relation to the vertical through the lower end of the hammer lead made possible by the gimbal connection of the hammer lead near the lower end thereof to the supporting radius frame 4, and by the extendable struts 23, have been found to be just what is needed for compensating, in a practical and convenient manner, for the deficiency in exactness of that positioning of the hammer lead which is conveniently achievable by moving the caterpillar 1 and the turn-table 2 thereon. There is the further advantage that lifting of the hammer lead by the lifting device connected to the radius frame 2 to clear the lower end of the hammer lead from the ground, and lowering of the hammer lead to rest its weight on the ground, can be performed practically without disturbing the correct positioning of the hammer lead.

The pile-driving attachment of the invention has the further advantage of providing for a practical and convenient manner of bringing the attachment into a condition in which it can be transported together with the caterpillar crane on a trailer hauled by a truck, say from one working place to another. For this purpose the hammer lead is made in two sections 6:: and 6b (FIG. 3). The upper section 6b (shown by dash and dot lines in FIG. 3) is detachably bolted or otherwise detachably secured to the lower section 6a. The two sections may be of substantially the same length. For bringing the attachment into condition for transport, the hammer 50 and anvil 51 are first lowered into their lowermost position in relation to the hammer lead 6. Then a line which may be the pile hauling line 58 or, if this is removed, a separate line 158, is wound on the drum 57 and used with a block arrangement including sheaves 59 and 56 and a dead end holder 165 on the axle 20 and a block 65 attached to the hammer lead 6 as a boom hoist pivoted by the axle 8, for lowering the hammer lead into, and holding it in, the position shown in FIG. 3. During this lowering of the hammer lead the bracket 29 must be able to slide down along the guides 30, so that the latch 31 must have been released. After the lowering of the hammer lead 6 into the position shown in FIG. 3, the upper section 6!) is detached. The caterpillar is then moved up onto a trailer 66 hauled by a truck 67, as shown in FIG. 4, whereupon the stays 127 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are detached and the rods 25 and the struts '23 moved forwardly to the position shown in FIG. 4, in which the forward end of the hammer lead section 6a is supported by a buck 68 on the truck 67.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tractor crane having a rotatable Windlass frame with means at its front end for normally pivoting thereto a crane boom for vertically swinging movement and with crane boom operating means, the combination of a piledriving attachment which comprises a hammer lead adapted to rest in upright position with its lower end on the ground during driving of a pile, a short radius frame pivoted to the Windlass frame by said crane boom pivoting means and connected to and operable for vertically swinging movement by said crane boom operating means, a universal connection between said radius frame and said hammer lead at a relatively short distance from the lower end thereof, two separately extendable struts each comprising two sections adjustable longitudinally of each other and including independently controllable operating means for relatively adjusting the two sections and holding them in any adjusted position in relation to each other, a universal connection between one section of each strut and said hammer lead at a relatively long distance from the lower end thereof, means mounted on the windlass frame to provide supports for said struts at both sides of the Windlass frame, and universal connections between the other sections of said struts and said supports for them, whereby the hammer lead can be lifted from the ground by the crane boom operating means acting on said radius frame and, when resting with its lower end on the ground at a predetermined point thereon, can be adjusted in respect of its inclination and held steadily in all directions by means of said separately extendable struts.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the universal connection between the hammer lead and said short radius frame is displaceable longitudinally of the latter, and a hydraulic servomotor comprising a cylinder mounted on the radius frame and a projecting piston rod connected with said displaceable universal connection is provided for adjusting the position of the latter longitudinally of the radius frame.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the radius frame has a projecting end in the shape of a fork and receives the hammer lead between the legs of the fork, the universal connection between the hammer lead and said radius frame comprises an axle disposed transversely between'the legs of said fork and guided at its ends in said legs for movement longitudinally of the radius frame, a yoke is carried by the projecting piston rod, and rods extending adjacent the legs of said fork connect said axle with the ends of said yoke.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein the universal connection between the hammer lead and said radius frame comprises in addition to said transversely extending axle a member rotatably mounted between the legs of said fork by means of said transversely extending axle, and axially aligned pivot pins disposed at right angles to said axle and pivotally connecting the hammer lead with said member.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the hammer lead is divided mediate its ends into two sections detachably secured to each other, and said strut supporting means comprise two normally upright rods disposed each on one side of the rotatable Windlass frame and pivoted thereto at their lower ends for forwardly swinging movement, an axle extending transversely between and connecting the upper ends of said rods above the Windlass frame, and detachable stays connected between the windlass frame and said rods for staying them in their normal upright position from which they can be swung forwardly after said stays have been detached, and the universal connections between said struts and said strut supporting means are mounted on said axle adjacent said norm-ally upright rods.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein a bracket is engaged with the hammer lead for sliding movement thereon, the universal connections between said separately extendable struts and the hammer lead are mounted on said bracket, a latch is mounted on the hammer lead for engagement with said bracket in a normal position thereof on the hammer lead, a spring urges said latch into engagement with said bracket, and said bracket has a cam surface which on sliding of said bracket from below up into its said normal position coacts with said latch for moving it against the action of said spring and finally permitting it to snap into locking engagement with said bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 487,235 Brayton Nov. 29, 1892 809,242 Bishop Jan. 2, 1906 1,046,662 Simonson Dec. 10, 1912 1,088,927 Reddiug Mar. 3, 1914 1,395,895 Bellony Nov. 1, 1921 1,957,999 Goldsborough May 8, 1934 2,134,989 Templeton Nov. 1, 1938 2,501,369 Zavatkay Mar. 21, 1950 2,540,679 Lafiaille Feb. 6, 1951 2,586,531 Gordon Feb. 19, 1952 2,616,267 Guild Nov. 4, 1952 2,659,583 Dorkins Nov. 17, 1953 2,711,078 Guild June 21, 1955 2,827,772 Taylor Mar. 25, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 62,516 Germany of 1892 609,290 Germany Feb. 12, 1935 615,008 Germany June 24, 1935 1,121,369 France of 1956 

